


Eternity is a Long Time to Grieve (but not long enough)

by Dawsonj26



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Genre: :(, Annabeth is amazing, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Author updates slowly, BAMF Annabeth Chase, BAMF Artemis, BAMF Carter Kane, BAMF Ocs, BAMF Percy Jackson, BAMF Sadie Kane, BAMF Thalia Grace, Carter is a dork, Desperation, F/M, Family Issues, Hurt, I love all of them!, Just a lot of issues, Just give the boi a chance, Like, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Might finish within the century, More tags!, Not Beta Read, Ortheus is a dork, Ortheus is a mess, Percy is a Dork, Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeallly slow, Sadie is amazing, Sibling Love, So much!, Thalia is not happy, The Author Regrets Nothing, Trust Issues, everyone is a BAMF, jason is dead, might, okay, pls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-10-11 17:19:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17451113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawsonj26/pseuds/Dawsonj26
Summary: It is said that "love conquers all." For Ortheus, Percy, and Thalia, it has brought nothing but pain.Ortheus has lead the Assassins for 3,000 years. A group shrouded in mystery that predates the existence of the Olympian gods. With immortality comes demons and Ortheus has many secrets from his past that continue to haunt him. Most of all, the sister who doesn't realize he's alive.Percy Jackson has been accepted into New Rome to the delight of his mother and girlfriend, Annabeth. However, the horrors of Tartarus weigh heavily on him; especially as Annabeth buries herself in a pile of ever growing projects assigned to her from Olympus.Thalia Grace has lost the only true family she had left. After only just getting him back. Now she is forced to confront the reality that Jason Grace is truly gone. Even surrounded by her sisters of the Hunt, she feels alone.A threat to humanity has driven them together, but the trials they must face threaten to tear their souls. As the Apocalypse looms, everyone must face the reality of not only losing their lives, but themselves.But hey, eternity is a long time to grieve.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Assassins](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/449852) by Dawsonj26. 



> Hi everyone! Im Dawsonj26. I’m relatively new to AO3 but not to fan fiction in general. 
> 
> This is pretty much just a repost of my story from the other site, but this will be where my main updates come from now on.
> 
> This chapter is kinda battle heavy, it won’t really be like this but it was important for establishing the background of my new character.
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoy this story. I’ll update as much as possible but life is really busy for me :(.

_Is this thing on...?_

_Okay, there's a red light!_

_So…so I just speak into this thing…?_

_Alright._

_Good._

_Here we go_

Alright, look, I haven't got much time with this. Percy and Thalia are both waiting for their turn, so I guess I better get started. Before I start, though, Atalanta, if by some miracle of the fates you happen to stumble upon this tape, I just want to let you know that I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry I couldn't be a better brother to you. I...I wish I could have done more. I've missed you. I just hope you know that these past few months were the best of my life, even if you didn't realize it was me.

Oh, who am I kidding? You still don't.

Alright. I'll start now: My name is Ortheus, and I'm a son of Apollo. You know, the Greek god of music, prophecy, medicine, and a lot of other things that no one cares about anymore. What you're holding in your hands right now is the most important artifact you may ever carry in your entire life. Protect it with your life; whether you believe it or not, it's worth more than yours.

_Does that sound a bit harsh to you? I think that came of a bit harsh._

Whatever. Trust me, by the time we're done, you'll understand.

For you to understand, though, I need to backtrack to about... 3,500 years ago. It was the day I officially joined the Assassins. Not like Assassin's Creed – no, that's completely unrelated. The Assassins is a group of people coming from every pantheon. We hide from the world. Well, at least we used to. Anyways, we're constantly making sure balance is maintained and societal order isn't completely overturned. We also make sure that nothing tries to destroy the world, which is the situation we find ourselves in right now. I'm getting sidetracked though. I need to get back to the point.

So where was I? Ah yes, day I joined the Assassins. I still remember it vividly after all these millennia. The sun had set for the day, and my work in the field was done. I had tucked my sister into bed, finished all my nightly chores and turned in for the night. It had been a regular day, but it would soon become a very abnormal night. I don't know when exactly, but I remember hearing the faint sound of my mother screaming.

Now, before I continue, let me tell you something. My mother was no damsel in distress. If she screamed, it was for a very good reason. In this case, that very good reason happened to be a horde of monsters. I will be happy to break down just who was in attendance to our little meeting, but for now you'll have to be satisfied with a lot plus one manticore. Yeah, I hate that guy.

I instinctually went for my bow, but my mother stopped me. "Take your sister and run!" she yelled. I made a move to protest, but she cut me off before I could get a word out. "No, do not worry about me! Go!" She gave me The Look. You know, the look a mother gives you that let's you know that no amount of arguing will change her mind.

_Yes Artemis, every mother has that ability. Not just Leto._

Despite giving me The Look, I still wanted to protest. Every instinct screamed at me to fight back and protect my mother. There was simply no way she could fend them off herself. My thoughts turned me towards the house where my sister lied, probably still asleep. She was just too young, I couldn't risk losing her. I knew my mother was right, I needed to take my sister and run.

I doubled back into the house to grab my sister. I didn't wait for her to wake up- there was no time. I dragged her off the bed and started to run, turning her in the other direction than the fight. I didn't want her to see what was going on, but she somehow managed to figure it out. Atalanta let loose a barrage of punches, kicks, and curses. She cried at me to turn around and help our mother. It took all my energy just to ignore her. A part of me hoped she would kick a little harder so I would finally want to turn around, but she never did.

We ran like this for longer than I could tell, until the monsters were nothing but specks behind us in the distance. Despite the monsters' small statures, they seemed to still be growing. No, not growing, but getting closer. They were after us. I loosed a curse to Apollo; who had he ticked off this time? And why did I have to pay for it? I grabbed Atalanta's hand and we began running again.

As we pushed forward, it soon became clear that there was nowhere near to hide. The monsters were gaining on us with ever-growing speed while we were beginning to tire out. I scanned the trees, but they were too thin to hide behind and the branches too high to climb. Besides, I'm pretty sure those dracaena had bows, so I wasn't going to risk it. The only thing going for us were the dense trees that managed to slow down some of the monsters for us, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.

This continued for what seemed like hours, our situation growing more and more desperate with each passing moment. We finally reached a clearing towards a hill when I suddenly came up with an idea. I quickly dismissed it, but the idea remained, festering in my mind, growing, spreading. No matter how hard I pushed it back, it kept coming back at me. I looked at my sister with heavy eyes. It was for the best. Slowing to a stop, I knelt down beside my sister. I met her eye-level.

"Sunshine." A smirk turned into a full smile at her annoyed huff. She hated that nickname.

_You call your brother Gas Giant! I don't need your sass, Merida!_

_Blue Giant, huh? Is that because I'm a star?_

_Mhmm, whatever you tell yourself, Merida. I'm continuing the story._

Where was I? Ah yes! Telling Atalanta to leave.

"What is it?" Atalanta's worried voice was accented with a bit of annoyance. I pretended not to notice.

"I need you to listen to me, okay?" I looked her square in the eyes, staring her into her deep blue eyes.

"O-okay."

"I need you to run away as fast as you can. All right? Once I'm out of sight, pray to Artemis. When she answers, request a place in her Hunters. She will certainly accept you. Now go! There's no time to waste!" I shoved her away, hoping she would listen to me.

My dear listeners, if there is one thing you should know about my sister, it is that she is extraordinarily stubborn. You couldn't move her with a bull if she didn't want to, and that was before she joined the Hunters. With th-

_Stop glaring at me Artemis! You know it's true!_

_At least I can admit I'm annoying._

"What about you?" She looked at me with wide eyes, oceans pooling into mine. The lines that etched her forehead grew deeper and her blonde hair seemed to get darker. I hated it when she looked at me like that, like if I had done something wrong to her.

"I'm going to stay and fight off the monsters so that you can escape." I gave her another shove, hoping she would start running. But again, she didn't budge.

"I can-"

"I'm sure you can take them," I cut her off, shaking my head. "But you might get hurt, and I would never forgive myself if that happened. If you really want to help me, run away and don't look back. Please!" I was practically begging at this point, but it seemed to do the trick. She turned around and began bounding away, just in time before the horde emerged out of the other side of the clearing.

I did a mental calculation. I had about thirty-two arrows, but I saw about fifty monsters. I would have to make sure every shot was a kill to even my odds, but I also had to make sure I stayed out of close combat. I did another risk calculation between staying in the clearing where I could get easy shots, but I would be unprotected. I couldn't run to the forest either because I'd be too far away to shoot.

I decided to remain in the clearing but still on the edge of the forest and released a volley of arrows. I started with the closer monsters in hopes of luring the more dangerous ones into range. Right now the Manticore seemed to be just out of range, but if I could coax him closer then I had a chance of taking down the horde. A slim chance, yes, but slim was better than the big fat zero that was currently hanging over my head.

I ran around the edges of the clearing, looking for any archers that might have an easy target for me. I glanced at the horde and tried to find out where those archers might be hidden. But my pursuit was lost when a volley of arrows sailed over the sky and dropped towards me. When I saw them coming, I just managed to dive into the forest for cover. The arrows sailed into the trees that lined the clearing. I continued to look for where they came from when I finally saw a team of archers hidden behind the monsters.

All right, they wanted to play dirty? Well then, it was time to show them what a son of Apollo could really do.

_We can do plenty, thank you very much._

_Can I tell the story please?_

Taking one arrow, I let it fly towards the team of archers; I knew as soon as I sent it that it was a good shot. Rather than waiting for the arrow to find its victim, I shot another five arrows at the remaining archers. Within seconds, all of them in the monster horde fell, dead. Suddenly, the other monsters didn't seem too sure about attacking me anymore.

Looking for the toughest ones, I glanced at the horde's left flank where the Cyclops were. Twenty-six arrows and fifteen of them in total. I could afford to take them out. I released my next barrage of arrows at them. Carefully, I made sure to pick them all off with a single shot. I couldn't afford to miss, so I made a mental note to be careful. The beasts seemed to be slow to pick up why their fellow monsters kept falling and didn't make a further attack. More power to me, I reasoned.

A few minutes later, fifteen more piles of gold dust littered the field, and I was down to eleven arrows. Now was the moment of truth; I set my sights on the Manticore.

Right now, the monster was just within range, but I couldn't afford to miss him. I shot an arrow at him. The range was long enough that it would attract suspicion but short enough that it definitely wouldn't hit him. As an added bonus, the arrow hit one of the empousa, killing it instantly. I was afraid the Manticore might not buy the bait, but he seemed to grow confident.

Seeing my supposedly limited range, the monster began to make his way closer to me. All the while, I started to run in different patterns to keep the monsters from catching up, as well as to confuse them. When I saw that the Manticore was within range, I readied another shot. I stared down my target, inhaling, spotting the Manticore's center of gravity. If I could hit it, he'd go down.

I steadied my bow, took aim, said a quick prayer, and fired. As the projectile flew through the air, I knew in my heart that it was a killing shot. The arrow was on a zip line, right towards the monster's heart.

At least it would have hit him if the beast hadn't just caught there arrow. He didn't even seem to flinch, just caught the arrow and threw it aside. It just...it shouldn't have been possible.

Yes, clearly it was. Thank you for pointing out the painfully obvious.

I just rolled my eyes, annoyed. Of course he had caught it. He was a Manticore. And looking at my situation, I realized there wasn't much else I could do now that I had wasted the shot. Nine arrows left in my quiver and there were still thirty monsters on the field. I knew I had to save one for the Manticore. If his reactions were that fast, I stood no chance against him in combat. I would have to get closer if I wanted any chance of taking down the monster.

The monsters did not seem willing to wait for me, though, and kept getting closer as their nerves calmed down. I searched for the next largest threat and found it to be the ten empousa with long fangs and really weird donkey leg things. I only had eight arrows to spare on them, the last being reserved for the Manticore. I would have to take out their strongest, and based on my observations, I knew exactly who they were. Finding my targets, I began to shoot my final barrage of arrows. I aimed for who I assumed to be the leader first. The empousa fell immediately, with three more of her sisters joining her. There were four more arrows and six more empousa. Staring the last of the horde, I released what was left of my arrows. By the time I was done, four more piles of gold dust littered the golden field. I had one arrow let. I counted about twenty dracanae, two empousa, and the Manticore. Seeing that my work with the arrows was done, I sheathed my bow and took out my hunting knives.

The two hunting knives I carried were celestial bronze hunting knives, twelve inches in length. They weren't great for range, but they worked well for speed and agility, which is where I also excelled. With my two knives in hand, I charged towards the horde. Maybe the Manticore would stand aside and let his minions do all the work. And for once, luck seemed to be on my side. He did remain behind, making my job that much easier.

"Alright, you weird donkey-vampires, let's do this." I twirled my knives in my hand, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I charged. When I was within range, I dived into a duck and roll. When my feet landed on the Earth again, I thrust towards the first empousa, impaling it immediately. I threw the knife in my left hand at the remaining ones, easily hitting it in the head and killing it. I rushed towards my discarded knife, picking it up just in time to block a strike from the dracaena. Using the monster's momentum, I shoved them past me and impaled it with my right knife. One dracaena down, nineteen to go.

Two more advanced towards me, both with celestial bronze swords in hand. I rushed towards the one to my left. Before the creature could strike me, I slid to the ground, gashing the monster's in it's slimy snake feet. Without hesitation, I impaled the monster in the back. Shoving it towards the other dracaena, the explosion of dust managed to distract them long enough for me to run and take out the other dracaena that was advancing towards me. While they were still in a daze, I managed to take out one more of them. I sighed; this was going to take a while. I wasn't sure how much of this my body could take.

This time, all of the dracaena advanced towards me at once. I was really screwed now. I didn't plan on giving up without a fight, though. I would send as many of these beasts back to Tartarus as possible, even if it was the last thing I did.

"That the best you got?" I taunted. "My grandma would be disappointed!" The dracanae hissed in rage...that seemed to do the trick.

_Yes, I suppose children of Apollo are just naturally infuriating. He had to pick up a few things from you, right?_

More dracaena broke off to engage me. Three ran forward to surround me. I threw my knives at the first two, impaling them in the heart and killing them instantly. Rather than going for the knives, I kept running towards the third. When I was within range, the dracaena swung her sword at me. I simply rolled out of the way before grabbing her arm and twisting the sword out of her grip. I grabbed the sword and thrust it into her body.

Before the dust could hit the ground, I turned around to block a strike from another dracaena that had advanced ahead of the pack. The monster took another stab at me, but I simply used their momentum to trip them forward. I stabbed the dracanae in the back as it fell, taking out another monster. Twelve left. Spying my knives on the ground, I went to retrieve them. But one dracaena stepped in my way to intercept me. Before she could make a move, I grab her wrist and twisted the sword out of her grip, striking her in the neck and killing her instantly.

When I finally got to my knives, I duck and rolled, picking the weapons up in the process. When my feet landed on the ground, I instantly spun around, taking two dracaenas in their legs, causing them to buckle. On their knees, I was simply able to stab them in the head, dispatching two more dracanae with ease. Nine left.

I needed to come up with something else, though. These tricks wouldn't keep working and I was running out of new ones.

I took a quick glance around the battlefield, taking in what resources I had left. That's when I saw a tiny bronze reflection just a few yards from me. It was an arrow. My arrow. I wasted no time and ran to pick it up. Taking out my bow, I nocked the arrow and pulled the string back to its fullest extent. About 175lbs of energy were aimed towards three dracaenas who were lining up quite nicely. It was almost too perfect to be true.

Without hesitating, I released the arrow at the three monsters. The whiplash was so great that it stung even with the gauntlet protecting my arm, but it worked. The arrow sailed effortlessly through the three monsters, reducing their numbers to six. I looked around me for more of my weapons, but I didn't see any in sight. I had to go back to using my knives to fight the remaining monsters.

Sheathing my bow, I took out my knives once again and charged. I swerved to their left flank where the weaker members would be. Apparently, even most monsters were right-handed since it looked like all of the dracaenas held their swords in their right hand. Running to the left flank, I shifted my weight slightly and thrust my knives with more force into the left most dracaena.

Five left.

Without waiting, I shoved through the dead monsters and impaled the next dracaena in the back.

Four left.

But before I could get to the next one, the dracaena managed to retreat and then surrounded me. They were trying to box me to go for the killing blow. I ran towards the first dracanae I saw, but they simply retreated while the others continued to advance on me. I decided another change of tactics was in order

When they were within range, I shifted my weight to my right foot and aimed to the left. Taking the dracaena by surprise, I was able to get through its defenses and kill it.  
Three left. This strategy seemed to be working.

I threw my knife at the one that had been charging me from behind and killed that one too. As if by instinct, I rolled out of the way just in time for a dracaena to run through where I had been. I threw my last knife at it and killed it.

This was it. There was only one left.

I picked up the knife that was closest to me. I thought about picking up the other one, too, but realized there wasn't enough time. Taking it in my left hand, I held the knife in reverse. I charged towards the last of the dracaena.

As I had expected, it swung at me from its right. I blocked the strike with the flat of my knife while using my momentum to slide the blade of the knife up theirs and through their neck.

That was it. They were all gone.

I took a moment to recover, and then walked over to my knife that was still on the ground. I picked it up, inspecting the blade. It was covered in monster dust.

Suddenly, a sound behind me made me jump. Someone was clapping. And then a malicious, icy cold voice spoke…and I knew exactly who it belonged to.

"Most impressive, son of Apollo," the Manticore said, and I turned stiffly around to face him. Apparently, the dull hag of meat could talk. "However, I'm afraid you won't live long enough to celebrate your victory. I'm sorry to say, but I have very special orders to kill you. It was fun to watch you play, but now it's time to end this." Call me crazy, but something in his voice told me he was not actually sorry.

"It's time indeed," I grinned, but I was worried. I was tired and beat. The manticore was still quite fresh. Running away wasn't an option anymore, I charged.

In the rush of the moment, I had almost forgotten about my arrow. In one fluid moment, I drew out my bow again and aimed my last arrow.

There was no taking any chances now. I pulled the bow back to its fullest extent. The Manticore stopped in its tracks, staring down the weapon that was aimed right at his heart. Taking a breath, blocking out all other sounds and distractions around me, I shot the arrow. And this time, it found its mark. The projectile went through the Manticore with such force that the feathered end fell out its back.

Despite the fatal blow, the Manticore continued to advance forward just as dangerous as ever. He didn't even look like he was hurting. Searching for something to harm him more, I looked down at my bow but suddenly gasped.

The strings had snapped and the wood had splintered, unable to hold itself together under the weight of two full shots. The bow itself could be fixed, but I would need to find new strings – a privilege I didn't have right now. I threw it to the ground, there was no further use for it. Raising my two knives, I advanced on the Manticore who now was bleeding heavily as he charged me.

In hindsight, I should have just let him bleed out, but I definitely wasn't thinking clearly at the time. I was still high on adrenaline and the blood of war had filled my senses. I needed to kill it. I had to.  
I charged towards the monster at full speed, and when I got within range of its tail, the beast threw a volley of poisoned spikes at me. I was able to dodge most of them, but one managed to catch me in the right leg, paralyzing the limb immediately. With a gasp of pain, I could already feel the poison beginning to spread. I only had a few moments before I was completely paralyzed… and then the Manticore would kill me.

I knew I had no other choice. I threw the knife in my left hand. In his weakened state, the Manticore was unable to intercept the blow and the blade went straight through its stomach. It still advanced. Limping towards me.

One knife in one hand, poison about to take full effect, one option left, I had no other choice by throwing my last knife. As it flew through the air, I collapsed.

I may have been paralyzed, I may have had no weapons left, I may have taken down an army of monsters, I may have done everything in my power to stay alive, but it still felt like it wasn't enough. I couldn't help feeling like I had disappointed everyone, including my family. Especially Atalanta. I closed my eyes.

But as I laid in a pile of golden dust waiting for my inevitable fate, I suddenly realized it never came. I couldn't turn my head to see what happened, but I sensed something. The air was still; the Manticore was dead.

Relief flooded me. I had done it! Oh, gods, I couldn't wait to tell Atalanta. I could already see her looking up at me with those shining eyes of hers and claiming that I was the best brother in the world. I'd reply with a casual, "I knew I could do it all along," and she'd glow with pride.

But I only laid there, mostly because I had no choice. My leg wouldn't move at all.

But it was relishing lying there, thinking proudly about my victory. I could already hear the gods on Mount Olympus singing my praises, and their muses would write songs about me for years to come: Ortheus, the great son of Apollo!

In fact, I was so lost in my daydream that I didn't notice a hooded figure approach me until it was too late. And then, more come. And more. A swarm was already around me before I could even react. One of them took a vile out of thin air, bent over, and held it to my lips. I wanted to resist, I didn't know what the Hades was in that stuff, but my body remained perfectly still. Whatever it was they shoved in my mouth, it was definitely not nectar. The fluid, or gunk, more accurately, tasted worse than cashew fruits.

FYI: Cashew fruits? Absolutely disgusting.

It tasted nasty, but its magic worked even quicker than the poison. Within a minute, they were offering their hand and I was standing back up. But just as quickly as I stood I fell back down. My legs were like jelly, and my lungs threatened to collapse on themselves. Every single muscle in my body was sore from the fight, and I couldn't lift my arms without a bullet of pain shooting through my entire body.

"You've outdone yourself, my good man," one of the hooded figures laughed. But it seemed to be a kind laugh like he was genuinely impressed.

The man removed his cowl to reveal a youthful looking face, just a few years older than mine. He had brown hair, fair skin, and startling green eyes. His built was athletic, and he stood half a head higher than me. From a first look, he seemed completely normal, but something about his eyes told me he was very ancient.

"I'm sorry, I should introduce myself first. My name is Roth. I'm the leader of these ragtag rebels known as the Assassins." He smiled wider when I looked even more confused. "What's your name?"

"I… I…" I swallowed. "I'm Ortheus, and what in Hades are the Assassins?" I had never heard of the Assassins before, and I knew a lot of things. My mother used to tell stories all the time, the Assassins did not appear in any of these stories.

"I wouldn't expect you to have heard of us," Roth said, almost reading my thoughts. "We like to keep ourselves a secret." When met with my blank stare, he went to elaborate. "You see, the Assassins are a group of immortal males devoted to the separation of all worlds. We like to make sure nothing steps outside of its territory. Occasionally we'll take on...bigger projects, but those are uncommon."

I hesitated. "But what does this have to do with me?

Roth smiled. "Well, Ortheus, we're always in need of talent. I saw your skills today, and even I'm impressed. So, what do you say? How would you like to be trained by the greatest heroes this world has never seen?"

"Males only? Does this contract involve some sort of vow of celibacy?" You can scoff at me for the seemingly random question, but it seemed very legitimate to me at the time. I mean, immortal males? Killing monsters? Sounds a lot like the Hunters.

"I'm afraid you will." But his laughing eyes clearly said he expected I, as a son of Apollo, could not possibly take the offer. I mean, I was a son of Apollo. I could attract just about anyone with my blond curls and deep blue eyes. I was truly one of a kind.

_OW!_

Artemis just slapped me.

As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I was not going to let a vow of chastity deter me. I mean...how hard could it be?

"So, let me get this straight… it's sort of like the male version of the Hunters of Artemis…"

As soon as I said it, I wish I hadn't it. I could have sworn that the shadows under the other's cowls got darker in anger. I instinctually took a step back.

"I would recommend you not mention them to us," he said in a warning tone. But he just as quickly before lightened up again "Don't worry about it. It's a rookie mistake. Believe me, we get it more than I like to admit. Some of these guys have bad memories of the Hunters, so I would just steer clear of the topic altogether."

"What sort of-"

"Don't even ask," Roth said, and from his expression, I knew he was serious. "So, will you join us or not? If you choose not to, no hard feelings. We'll escort you to a safe location where you will be able to start anew."

I considered the offer for a moment, but the choice already seemed obvious. Go to some town and live out a dull, boring life without my mom and sister, or join some of the greatest warriors ever and live a great life full of danger and adventure. I might even be able to see Atalanta again someday.

And so, I cleared my throat and made the best – and worst- decision of my life.

"I accept!"

Roth smiled. Clearly the guy liked to smile a lot. I knew I was gonna like that guy.

"Well then, welcome to the Assassins, Ortheus." Roth's smile widened even further and for some reason, I felt pride rush through me.

Without prompting, the other hooded figures took off their own cowls to reveal nineteen teenage-looking boys; twenty, including Roth. I found myself surprised to see that they were all completely human, but some seemed entirely foreign. Roth seemed to be reading my thoughts, because his next words were, "You may notice that some of us look a bit...different. That's because we recruit people from all around the world, not just Greece. Believe me, there's much you still need to learn about our world. Don't worry though, we have plenty of time. Valdez, if you would please?"

Roth gestured towards one of the larger members of the group. Valdez had a giant but athletic frame with tanned skin. His brown hair was swept to the side, and two chocolate brown eyes danced with mischief. But I got the same feeling from his eyes that I got from Roth though; this man was ancient. Valdez's giant hands went to his pocket, where he pulled out a shining crystal and handed it to Roth.  
"Now, fair warning, but this is going to hurt... a lot."

Roth didn't wait for my permission before he shoved the crystal into my chest. At first, I felt nothing, but that didn't last long. Within seconds, I was on the ground, screaming in pain. It felt like billions of tiny drills trying to dig their way into my skin. I could feel every cell of my body twisting, turning, and re-shaping. It only lasted a few seconds, but the pain felt like it had gone on hours.  
Taking a few breaths, I steadied myself and let the pain gradually subside.

I looked around. I didn't think I looked any different, but I certainly felt different. I wasn't sure how I knew, but somehow, a pleasant shiver ran down my spine. I don't know how, but I could feel my cells relaxing. I could feel it, my cells had stopped aging. I was immortal.

I know I say it matter-of-factually now, but let me tell you, I was absolutely freaking out at the time.

"What was that?" I had meant to yell, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper.

"I'm sorry." At least Roth seemed genuinely apologetic. "It's the only way we have to make you immortal. It's a bit unrefined, but it works. The pain you felt was every cell in your body being imbued with magical properties to make you immortal. Bringing in a foreign substance tends to tick off your brain, so it took a lot of...convincing."

It made a weird sort of sense, but I still wasn't happy with the pain I had just experienced. That was something I would never forget. "All right. So…" I felt a bit awkward. "What do we do now?"  
I looked around, hoping for an explanation. Roth, as I expected, was the first to answer.

"We're going to escort you to our camp, which is just a few miles from here. After that, we'll all make introductions and start your training the following morning."

As he finished his sentence, I looked up as the sun rose over the horizon, breaking the power of night into day.

Roth pursed his lips. "Check that, we'll begin training after you've had enough time to rest. Follow me!"

I inwardly groaned, wanting to curl up in a ball at the thought of training after today's battle. I was tired and beat from the last few hours of running and fighting. I should have expected it, but I was hoping I would at least get some sort of orientation before they shoved me into the next level. Unfortunately, something told me they wouldn't go easy on me just because I was new.

I laughed, getting a crazed look from the other Assassins. They definitely wouldn't go easy on me.

I stood up to follow them to their camp, feeling both excited and worried about the new life I was starting. Looking at the sun above, I felt like a new man. One who was peeking his head out of the horizons as a new day, a new hope, begun.


	2. What Once Was

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ortheus is forced to relive a distant memory.
> 
> An age old enemy makes his debut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will probably be mildly depressing. Nothing too extreme I don't think.
> 
> Yeah, it's kinda sad, but it gets better from here. For now.

I stood at the top of the hill, watching the trees lining the horizon for as far as the eye could see. The sweet colors of autumn began to bloom as leaves took on different shades of red, yellow, and green. Standing from my vantage point, I felt the entire forces of nature swirling and dancing around me. Birds chirped at full volume, indicating the rise of the morning sun.

Smiling, I whispered a hello and waved at the sun. It had become my customary greeting to my father for the past 3,500 years since joining the Assassins. Ammon, my Lieutenant and second in command, stepped up beside me to admire the view.

"Sure is quite a sight," he observed, I couldn't help but agree. From a distance, one could forget the violence that was hidden behind the beauty of a forest, and for now, we could just soak in the beautiful sight and enjoy the morning.

"Almost makes you forget we're on this stupid mission," I grumbled, and kicked a rock down the hill. I watched it tumble and roll down until it was out of sight. Ammon watched with me carefully, shaking his head.

"So you do agree that it's a stupid mission," he finally said.

"Of course it's a stupid mission." I rolled my eyes. "What kind of person would want to go on these recruiting missions? They're boring."

Ammon threw a sharp glance at me before turning back towards the view. "Apparently you would," he remarked, kicking another rock down the hill. We watched it bounce down the hill again, content with the small distraction.

"Being the leader means taking the missions that no one else wants," I said. "It helps build morale, show them they can count on me. Besides, it's not like we do this every time- only once in a while." Despite my efforts, Ammon didn't cheer up. Who could blame him? It was a stupid mission.

I had brought him with me to track an Egyptian Magician who had been wandering around for a while. After searching his past, Ammon and I had discovered that both of his parents were killed on vacation in Alaska after a tsunami hit. This boy had been left alone to wander the world, living on nothing but scraps.

I had seen him in visions, and he clearly was in poor state. I had told Ammon it was a recruitment mission, but at this point it seemed more like a rescue mission.

"It doesn't mean you had to drag me along," Ammon's voice said, breaking my thoughts. I only laughed, which made him pout even more.

"You're my lieutenant. You have to set an example, too." Once again, it didn't seem to make him feel any better.

"Then I resign."

I looked at Ammon in mock hurt. "How could you do this to me?" I fell to my knees, forcing tears in my eyes. "I thought we were friends!"

"I should have done this years ago," Ammon laughed, and walked away while dragging me with him. I clung to his leg, and he looked down at me. "Let go!"

"Make me," I said craftily, the hint of a smirk escaping from the side of my mouth.

Without hesitation, he shook me away and drew his sword, as well as his magician wand. "I suppose I will," he returned.

In return I drew my two sterling silver katanas, gifts from Masamune. "It's treason then." Ammon groaned. I groaned. Everyone groaned.

"Please don't make me think of those movies," I bit back a laugh. Being the son of Apollo does have its downsides.

_Oh ha ha, Artemis. For the record, Apollo is a terrific father._

_Most of the time._

 

We began to circle around each other, feigning attacks. Eventually, we would engage in a full fight, but for now we were content with empty threats.

"Come on, Orthy, let's rid the world of your awful stench," Ammon taunted, spitting my former nickname at me.

I responded with the first insult that came to mind.

"Your mother is a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" I yelled before I could stop myself. I groaned, cursing my father.

Ammon bit back a laugh, but it was no use. "I love that movie!" he cried. "But the funny thing is my mother did turn herself into a hamster once."

I laughed a bit, remembering the first time Ammon had told me the story about his mother accidentally turning herself into a hamster. After multiple fits of laughter and failed spells, Ammon had finally turned her back into a woman. A very pissed off woman.

We shared a quick laugh, then Ammon let loose a battle cry. "I spittith in your general direction!" He charged.

Before we could intercept, all I could think was: Weirdest. Battlecry. Ever.

We clashed seconds later, sterling silver katanas locked with celestial bronze. Ammon's staff morphed into a secondary sword and he swiped at me. Side-stepping the blow, I tried to get past his defenses but Ammon simply jumped back. We were back where we started.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" he challenged. "It's like fighting a white puffy cloud."

My eye twitched. I was not going to make another reference. I was not going to fall for his trap again. No more culture references.

No… no…

"Well this cloud is about to bring the thunder!"

…and I failed.

I could swear I felt the sun winking at me. Gee, thanks a lot, Dad. I only rolled my eyes back and charged at Ammon again, katanas held in a position to protect my lower and upper body. We met in the middle again, our weapons colliding at breakneck speed as sparks flew from our weapons.

I swung my right katana at Ammon's legs, hoping to trip him. But he easily blocked my attempt and launched a series of counter-attacks aimed at my torso and lower body. I was forced on my heels as Ammon's attacks picked up speed.

Ammon swiped low towards my feet, but I made quick work in side-stepping it. With his side exposed, I began to engage and put him back on his heels.

Grinning, I was about to finish the fight when I noticed a dark flash out of the corner of my eyes. I glanced at where I had seen the spot, only to find nothing there. Maybe it was only my imagination; I turned back to face Ammon. But while I'd been looking, Ammon had had enough time to recover and charged me.

We engaged again, but the black spot I had seen kept gnawing at my mind.

I pressed on, stretching out Ammon's defenses to try and find another opening. His fighting style perfectly matched my own, a product of training with each other for over three millennia. I plunged my first katana towards his feet, forcing him to jump back. Slightly off balance, I took the initiative.

Just as I was about to finish Ammon off once and for all, I saw the black spot again. This time it was larger, and still getting bigger. Staring back at where Ammon had been, I was surprised to see he had vanished. But after a quick look around, I noticed Ammon standing a few yards away, looking amused.

Suddenly, I realized just what the black spot was.

"Hey, no magic!" I shouted.

"What are you talking about?"

I was surprised to see that he looked genuinely confused. I had assumed the black spots must have been his doing, but he just looked as baffled as I did.

That's when I saw it again, even larger.

I looked at the sky, but it was as clear as a day could get. The air was dry and clouds were sparse. The sun was shining brightly, there was no sign of any darkness. But then there was another spot, this time in both my eyes. I looked Ammon, worried, but the dark spots didn't even seem to register with him.

"Are you seeing these?" I asked, hoping my suspicions were wrong.

"Seeing what?"

Great. Just great. So either I was finally going insane after all these millennia of being surrounded by a bunch of idiots, or I was really seeing black spots.

Just as I was about to accept that I had gone insane, the black spots appeared again. This time though, they didn't disappear. I frantically looked around, trying to find the source, but every time I moved they moved with me.

Moments later, the spots began to pulse, growing larger. And slowly, they began to grow over my eyes. I could faintly hear Ammon calling to me, but it was like trying to hear someone from underwater. I was mesmerized by the dancing black spots all over my eyes. They obstructed all sense of vision and reality. They occupied every corner of my mind. Ammon's cries were pushed further from my mind until he all but disappeared.

And then everything went black.

The silence was deafening, the world forgotten. Suddenly, the spots retreated to welcome an oppressive darkness. I could see for miles in either direction, and yet I saw nothing. The only evidence that I wasn't trapped in a small room was the light being emitted from my sterling silver katanas. It gave off the light I needed to check my surroundings.

Left with no choice, I began to wander around in hopes of finding an exit. The endless darkness seemed to warp and reshape around me as the light of the sterling silver invaded the area.

It was hard to describe exactly what I was seeing; it was cold, dark, and extremely lonely. The walls of darkness seemed to close in on me, only to retreat when I waved my twin swords. The cold frosty air bit into my skin like knives, cutting right through my cloak.

I walked for what felt like hours, the eternal darkness unrelenting. The scene remained unchanged no matter where I turned and regardless of how fast I ran. I couldn't hear a single noise, not even my feet against the dark floor. I felt nothing, yet the nothingness was crushing me. Caging me.

It made no sense. I was a son of Apollo, born for the light. Darkness had always been my enemy. But this… this was something more. This was not some regular darkness; this was advanced darkness.

_Stop mocking me, Artemis, I was terrified!_

I groaned again. Even with my life potentially on the line, my stupid Apollo-born brain had to come up with another culture reference. Perfect.

Then came the noise.

It was silent at first, playing just in range of my hearing. The ringing sound remained oddly constant, refusing to get louder or lower. I just stood in one place, unable to tune it out as it rang throughout my head.

After an unspecified yet agonizing amount of time, the sound left and I was alone in silence again.

"Hello?" a voice came from deep within my body, but it was not my own. Any relief of sound was washed away by the new voice. The voice clearly belonged to someone else, someone I prayed to every god in existence I would never have to hear again.

"It's been so long."

A gust of wind caressed my cheek, drying the tears that already threatened to fall. I knew that voice. I would know it anywhere.

"Don't be shy," the voice taunted me with my own body. Every word felt like my own, but it wasn't.

"Come to the light," it coaxed.

But there was no light.

"Oh don't give up so easily," the voice mocked disappointment. "You just have to-"

"Look."

The voice was no longer coming from my own body, but from far away. It was only a whisper, but it echoed throughout the entire area, invading my ears and hammering into my mind. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to shut out the voice, his voice.

Salty tears began to escape from my eyes, and pure terror gripped every muscle in my body, holding me hostage. The voice had been long gone, but it still remained in my mind. The source was left behind, tormenting me.

Then a light.

In the darkness, it was blinding. A tiny light, nothing more, but it meant everything.

'Come to the light,' the voice whispered in my mind. Like a clock with only one purpose, I forced myself towards the tiny light. That light was now the universe. Every past, present, and future was in that light. It was the answer. I could feel it coaxing me closer like a mother would to their child. Like a child, I obeyed.

I inched closer to the growing light. A part of me screamed at me to stop, I ignored it. The closer I got, the more my body began to tremble. Tears ran down my cheeks. The only thing controlling me now was fear. A fear I had known but once before.

By the time I reached the light, it was searing into my eyes. My entire body was drenched in sweat, my muscles refused to move another inch, and my brain had all but shut off. A part of me wanted to run.

I wanted to run.

Run from all of it. The pain. The suffering.

Save myself from the terror that awaited.

Forget the world.

"Let it die," the voice came from nowhere, yet everywhere. Every inch was filled with it. It was oppressive, but only a whisper.

The light.

I looked at the light, the source of everything I loved. The darkness surrounded it, but the light remained firm. When I looked, I knew what the light held. It held me, it held everything I ever wanted. It was my desire. I reached for it, desperately trying to grab what had so easily slipped through my fingers. But just when I was about to touch it, it slipped just out of reach.

I stepped forward again to try to catch it, but it still slipped away.

Try after try, fail after fail, and I still couldn't catch it.

"Silly boy," the voice laughed, mocking me. "Always chasing what you desire, but knowing you will never have it."

My eyes remained on the light, refusing to look anywhere else. It now become my only hope in the wall of darkness closing in on me.

But then the light got bigger, until I could finally see what was inside.

I gazed at the light, curious as to what I may see. Perhaps the Assassins and I on a mission together, or sparring with Ammon in our free time.

Instead, I saw an image.

"Atalanta," I breathed, and the walls collapsed.

I was in an open field, but it was no longer the hill on a forest where Ammon and I had fought. I looked around me, trying to make sense of my new surroundings, but saw nothing but trees for miles.

It was a beautiful sight. The sun was peaking just over the horizon like a shy child, and bands of light were colliding with puffy clouds to create a pink hue. The pink eventually gave way to a brilliant blue and a dusty gray, creating the colors of dawn. Three colors in harmony, painted across the sky like a canvas.

"Ortheus?"

I turned towards the source of the voice and held back a gasp. It was my mother.

She stood on the raised dais in front of our house, the sun shining on her chocolate brown hair. I had always thought she looked most beautiful from that angle, and this only confirmed it.

Mom looked at me with her warm brown eyes, and I found myself melting. I knew those eyes meant safety, comfort, and happiness. When I saw those eyes, I knew I wasn't alone anymore. There were still things to fight for.

As I ran towards her, a wooden structure began to appear behind her; my home.

It was a simple structure. A few logs built into a rectangle with a regular roof to keep the rain out. The cabin had two rooms: one for my mother, and another for Atalanta and me. Smoke was billowing out of the chimney, where my mom was likely cooking her famous pork stew.

"Coming, Mom!" I yelled, rushing towards her waiting arms. As I sprinted past a puddle, I suddenly stopped, looking at my reflection. When I looked at my eyes, I saw the same brilliant blue sparkle I had seen 3,000 years ago. The marks of my years were gone. Icy blue eyes were now filled with a bubbly optimism. Sharp, icy hair had now returned to it's naturally blonde curls.

All evidence of past trauma had been erased. I was normal.

Oddly, I started to get lost in my own reflection, caressing the hair that I had lost so many years ago and admiring my nearly perfect face.

"Stop checking yourself out and get inside, Ortheus," my mother's laugh cut in. I blushed, feeling like my vain father.

I ran towards my mother and when I got there, she pulled me into a hug. For that one moment, nothing else mattered. It had been over 3,000 years since I felt her embrace, but I only cared that it was now. The colors washes away, the cabin faded into the background, and the sweet aroma of pork stew lost its hold on my senses. There was only her, my mother's arms. So sweet and caring and something I'd always taken for granted.

The warmth. The warmth of a mother. I could not feel it. This was a memory. A vision. A trick.

I buried my head inside her, refusing to leave the comfort I had lost for so long. I knew this couldn't be real, but I couldn't help but feeling like it was. Everything was exactly as it should have been.

But something kept nagging at my mind, telling me it was just a dream. I didn't want to listen. I had finally found my home again, and nothing could take this away. I pushed any doubts to the back of my mind. I was exactly where I needed to be.

With difficulty, I finally broke from my mom's embrace and forced myself to look up into her eyes. Her brown eyes, so deep, so caring. For the first time in three millennia, I felt safe.

My heart shattered.

Nothing could touch me now. Nothing could hurt me. I looked into those eyes and I knew I was okay. The pain of the world was washed away in the eternal depths of her eyes, pulling me closer to safety.

"Come on inside, it's time for breakfast," she smiled, waving me in. My stomach growled at the idea of food. After a hard morning of work, I was certainly ready for it. She laughed again. "Hungry are we?"

I blushed, mentally yelling at my stomach to stop being so loud.

She didn't wait for an answer, though, before dragging me to the breakfast table. There I saw my sister, Atalanta, the same seven-year-old girl I had left all those millennia ago, sitting at the table. As soon as I entered, she ran up and jumped on me; I had just enough time to catch her before she fell over. Swinging her around a few times before setting her down, grins started to plaster on both of our forces.

"Ortheus, guess what?" She was jumping up and down with joy, bubbling like a boiling kettle. "Come on! Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?"

"Alright, what is it, Sunshine?" I laughed, ruffling her hair.

"You have to guess!" she whined, stomping her foot. When she did that, I knew there was no way of working around this, or we would be standing here for a very long time.

Mom apparently was afraid of that too, and answered for me. "Our little angel made breakfast," she said, and Atalanta groaned. My mom just laughed, giving me a knowing look.

"You weren't supposed to tell him!" I laughed, heart swelling with pride.

"You made breakfast for us?" I asked incredulously.

"Mmhmm! But Momma helped me!" My sister grinned, clearly proud of her big accomplishment.

"I'm so proud of you," I whispered, because I truly was. "You're getting so big. Making breakfast!"

I didn't think her smile could possibly get wider, but it did. Her mouth was stretched from ear to ear. I couldn't help it; I bent over and brought her in for a hug.

Just like with my mother, I didn't want to leave. Holding my sister in my arms, I felt like a big brother again, one who was able to protect his little sunshine.

Everything was as it should have been. I had my family again, my home, my normal life. The Assassins were but a distant memory, an old wise tale that was given no more than a second thought. The only thing that mattered was this... right here, right now.

The dawn painted sky, my mother's warm eyes, the sweet aroma of stew, Atalanta's brilliant smile, the amazing breakfast she had made… I couldn't think of anything else even coming close. I wanted to give into it, to put my soul to rest and remain in this surreal world.

Only, something kept nagging at me. It was telling me this was all wrong, that I shouldn't be here, that I needed to leave. I ignored it. This was the life I was meant to live, the person I was meant to be. A boring son of Apollo, forgotten by the entire world. No danger, no adventure, but with the family I had always wanted. Born to die.

My sister dragged me over to the breakfast table, pulling up a chair where I could sit down. Still grinning, she fetched the barley bread from our cellar and scooped some pancakes onto my plate.

My mouth watered, and a new aroma permeated the air that was coming from the pancakes which were still fresh. Atalanta poured honey over my plate and hovered at my side to see what I thought.

Looking over the food, I found nothing to be suspicious of. I knew they had all the right ingredients and the pancakes themselves seemed to look okay. Not too black but not too battery; just right. I picked one up with my bare hands and took a bite. It was soft and sweet, melting in my warm mouth.

They tasted just like the ones my mother had always made for us: soft and chewy with honey on the side, and just a hint of olive oil to enrich the flavor. A little taste of heaven.

I smiled in gratification, and Atalanta lit up like a Christmas tree. "Do you like them?" she blurted out, and for a moment I feared she'd burst from anticipation.

"I love them," I said genuinely. Smiling, she pulled me into a bear hug and I happily accepted, holding her like that for as long as I could.

Everything was as it should be. My mother stood off to the side, smiling as we continued to embrace. My sister stood in my arms, holding me even tighter than I thought possible. This is where I was meant to be.

"Ortheus." My mother broke us from our embrace. "Why don't you take Atalanta with you to practice archery?"

Without even waiting for me to respond, Atalanta squealed with joy and ran to retrieve her bow.

It was a gift I had given to her for her seventh birthday. A simple wooden recurve bow made from the trees that surrounded our house. A horse hair string kept the two ends of the bow in place, and the curves at the end gave it a respectable amount of power without requiring too much strength. It was perfect for her.

"I wish she would stay this way forever," I sighed, smiling sadly at the thought of when my sister would hit puberty and lose her youthful energy. I never wanted that day to come, but I was prepared to make the most of every minute that came before it.

"Then how about we make sure she does?" Mom asked, answering my previous statement.

That was my first real hint that something was wrong about this place. I looked into her eyes, but still all I saw were those brown orbs, no sign of the cold voice that had just spoken only moments ago.

Shaking my head, I thought nothing of it, chalking it up to my imagination.

A few moments later, the tiny frame of Atalanta limped out of our room, bow in hand. Behind her, she dragged my bow with her, pulling it until she finally reached me and I picked it up. Like Atalanta's, mine was a simple bow, but a regular one. Mine did not have the curves at the end, allowing a greater draw weight, and consequentially more power.

"Do you want me to take that for you?" I extended my empty hand, referring to her own bow. Atalanta shook her head vigorously, tightening her grip on her own bow. A true daughter of Apollo, I mused. One who never wants to let go of her bow. "Follow me, then," I said, turning to the door to go to our training area.

I led her on the short walk to the archery range; it was a mostly private area, with only a few of those closest to me knowing of its location.

I watched her running around in circles, excited to begin her first lesson. She had always been like that. She was bright and happy. She was the sun. I was the music. Content to sit. To listen. To feel. I found enjoyment in the calm soothing music of the forest.

With that final thought, we burst into the clearing that marked the practice range.

"Welcome to the archery range, Atalanta," I said, and held my hands out gesturing to the clearing that had become my sanctuary. Atalanta's eyes widened, looking around in awe. She sprinted off, exploring all the different nooks and crannies of my little hideout.

It was just the way I had found it. A quiver laid horizontally on my work table, unfinished arrows scattered all around it- some in need of feathering or a new head. My second bow lazily leaned on the side of the table, having been unused for some time.

The end of a fallen tree stuck out on the other side of the range, holes visible from where it had been hit by countless arrows. A few stray marks riddled the trunks around it from missed shots. Lines marked with rocks indicated the distances. fifteen meters, twenty-five meters, forty meters, fifty meters, and sixty meters.

"This place is amazing!" my sister yelled, joyfully throwing her hands up in the air as she ran. I just laughed, grinning at my little sunshine who seemed to be an endless ball of energy.

"What could have been."

I jerked and immediately looked around for the voice, but saw nothing. I wanted to believe I was just hearing things, but there was still a feeling that told me I should investigate. Unfortunately, Atalanta broke me from my thoughts before I could investigate any further.

"What's wrong, Ortheus?" She stared at me with her wide, brilliant blue eyes. I stared at her and lost all resolve, I couldn't tell her.

"Nothing," I lied. "Let's just get to work on your shooting." I guided my sister to a place a little closer than the fifteen meter mark.

I handed Atalanta a small arrow; the one I had personalized for her bow ahead of time in case this day ever came. She took it in her hand and nocked it in the string. I double checked to make sure she was holding it correctly before nodding. And when I looked at her feet, I saw that her stance was good.

Taking her index and middle finger, she pulled the string back until a finger rested below the chin; the perfect stance. She released the arrow.

It hit just outside of the center. A few centimeters to the left and it would have been a perfect shot. "You're a natural!" I congratulated. Clearly she had gotten archery from Apollo, as I had. She smiled gleefully, obviously proud she had managed to impress me.

We practiced for the rest of the morning, which passed too quickly for my taste. She managed to land a few bulls-eyes, but most of her shots landed just outside center. When I moved her back to the fifteen meter line, she continued to hit outside center, but her shots were slightly more sporadic and a few landed further out. After a few hours of watching her shoot, she begged me to show her. After some hesitation, I relented, moving to the furthest point, sixty meters.

"You ready?" I grinned, ready to impress her. She nodded, jumping side to side in anticipation. I took an arrow from my quiver, nocked it, and examined the tree: it was about five feet wide, but at this distance it looked smaller than a foot. I trained my eyes on the target, envisioning the shot hitting dead center over and over again. All my concentration was focused on this one thing, and nothing could break it.

Drawing the strings back, I finally released it. I had known it was a good shot before it had even left the bow, and I was proven correct when the arrow hit dead center, not a millimeter to spare. Atalanta clapped feverishly, jumping up in down. "That was amazing, Ortheus!"

I smiled and gave her a wink. "That will be you one day."

"No, I'll be better!"

I laughed and ruffled her hair. Apollo's children did carry a certain edge of competitiveness.

"You most certainly will be," I promised, and knelt down to meet her eyes. I reached out and pulled her in for a hug. I didn't know why, but it just felt right. Almost like I would never get to do this again. I knew I had to treasure every single moment I had left with her, always believing it would be my last.

The rest of the day carried on uneventfully. I tended to the field and groomed the animals we held, and then we ate dinner. I finally got to have the pork stew that had been watering my mouth all day.

After the sun went down and Apollo's chariot had long since retired for the night, I finally fell into my bed where I was instantly whisked off into a dream. Life was as it should be.

...For now.

My eyes snapped open.

Moonlight filled my eyes, and the cold autumn wind rustled the trees as crickets called to the night sky. I blinked. I was no longer in the dream, but I remembered it as if it were real. It had certainly felt real. How long had I been stuck in there?

When I looked up, I saw Ammon standing over me. At a first glance he looked natural, but then I noticed he was shaking uncontrollably. Had he seen what I had seen?

"Ammon." I couldn't bring my voice above a murmur, relieved to find the voice was my own.

"Yes, Ortheus…" The fact that he spoke barely seemed to spark any recognition in him. His eyes were stuck on the horizon, frozen in place. I could almost hear this thudding heartbeat piercing the silence that gripped us.

Growing concerned, I sat up and snapped my fingers in front of his eyes, hoping it would register with him. But his eyes remained fixated on the horizon.

I sucked in a breath. "He's back," I whispered, almost choking on my own words. I didn't want it to be true, but deep within, I knew it was. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to run and hide from what was coming.

"He's back."

Ammon's eyes finally shifted towards me, brown eyes gripped with fear. The same fear I had seen once before... the fear that had taken everything from me…

…3,000 years ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun! Dun! Dun! That's a small introduction. 
> 
> The villain will be properly introduced next chapter.
> 
> If you've made it this far, either you have nothing better to do or you're enjoying the story. I hope it's the latter, so please feel free to leave some kudos and comments and remember to subscribe. 
> 
> Life is super duper busy so any encouragement I get really helps.
> 
> Luv you guys!


	3. Darkness Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ortheus has to tell the other Assassins about Lucifer. A select few are not happy at all about this news.

I sat before the band of Assassins. My eyes scanned the area warily, but I refused to meet any of their questioning eyes. I just couldn’t bring myself to look at them. The whole area sat in unnerving silence, waiting for me, their ancient leader, to finally speak his piece. To explain what was urgent enough to warrant an immediate cancellation of all missions and call all of them to assembly.

 

I was reluctant to speak. Normally calm under the unwavering eyes of my peers, I now found myself shriveling under their hardened gaze. It wasn’t just their eyes I feared, but the inevitable reaction that I knew would follow. It was a band-aid hiding a horrible scar and one way or another, it was coming off. It would have to be on my own terms, quick and a little painful, but better than the alternative.

 

“Lucifer has returned,” my voice barely broke above a whisper, but in the silence of the forest, it could be heard as clearly as a shout. The reaction was even more clear as a wave of both anger and confusion broke from amongst the assembled members. Only Ammon, who stood at my side, remained silent in the whole ordeal. The babbling started to turn into incoherent shouts of confusion and rage.

 

“That’s impossible!”

 

“Who?”

 

“What are we going to do?”

 

“Lucifer?”

 

“What is he talking about?”

  
“We’re doomed!!!”

 

At that point, I had decided that enough was enough. Standing up from the rock I had perched myself on, I walked up to the assembled mass, drew one of my katana’s, and ran it across a jagged rock. The horrible sound quickly drew the group to silence as the gazed upon the view of what was now their furious leader.

 

“That...is...enough!” I stared accusingly at them. “I called this meeting to warn you, not so you could all act like children. You are Assassins, have some pride in yourself.”

 

“Umm...Ortheus...who is this...Lucifer?” the question came from one of the younger Assassins. Harry, a teenager from England we had picked up following the Great Fire of London; much too young to understand the gravity of the situation. I looked at a few of the other younger members, members who had not been there and noticed similar looks of confusion on their faces. The question hardly caught me off guard, but I still wasn’t sure I was prepared.

 

“I think,” I sighed, “that it’s time I finally told you about the Dark Period. This will not be an easy story to tell, I only ask that you remain silent and bear with me as I attempt to retell the events that unfolded so long ago.” I looked upon the immortal group, hands raised in a gesture offering them all to take a seat. The group obeyed and returned to their original seats in the makeshift auditorium.

 

“Lucifer is the greatest threat the Assassins have ever faced,” I started quite plainly, “no titan or god from any pantheon has ever posed a greater threat to our existence or the existence of the entire world. Not even Apophis has ever come as close.” I paused to take a breath. “As you all may know, I joined the Assassins around 3,500 years ago, what you may not know is the entire circumstances of how I joined. You see, I joined during an era that is known by most of the gods as the ‘Era of Confusion.’ Over a period spanning over five centuries, monsters began attacking in much greater numbers at a much greater rate. This alone would be cause for concern, but the greatest concern was that many of these monsters were not recognizable. We were able to write it off as old beasts that we simply had no record of, but the truth is that many of the monsters from other pantheons were beginning to cross worlds. Greek, Egyptian, and even Norse creatures combined forces and began hunting down demigods and magicians. I myself was almost a victim of this purge. Miraculously, I managed to survive and was subsequently recruited into the Assassins.”   
  


“We know all this, what does this have to do with Lucifer?” a random Assassin complained.

 

“No interruptions please, I’m getting to that.” I gritted my teeth in irritation, slightly annoyed at the interruption, “as I was saying, this is how I was recruited to the Assassins. Something you will not know, is that Lucifer was actually the cause of this Era of Confusion. Long before he escaped from his frozen prison, he began orchestrating his eventual rise. He was the one that told Gaea to seek out Tartarus and give birth to the Giants who would eventually wreak havoc on all of Greece. He sowed the seeds for the eventual rebellion of the magicians that would see their entire culture collapse and drive their gods into hiding. He helped orchestrate the Aesir-Vanir war that nearly tore the entire Norse pantheon apart. Finally, while all the gods were weakened and distracted, he brought the monsters together and began sending them out to hunt down all the demigods and magicians, the last remaining threat to his rise. While I do not know for certain, I estimate that there were less than 100 demigods and magicians combined remaining by the time he had finished. Finally, after centuries of planning and manipulation, Lucifer broke from his frozen prison and began to wreak havoc on the entire planet. There was only one final threat remaining before he could start the Apocalypse and bring the world into darkness and destruction.”

 

“Us,” no one knew who said it. It was barely a whisper, but it echoed throughout the small clearing within the forest. I simply nodded, head down; dejected. 

 

With no response, I continued. “Lucifer set his sights on the already weakened Assassins and began picking us off one by one. At the beginning of the war, we had thirty Assassins total, by the time we discovered his existence we were down to twenty, by the time we found him our numbers had been reduced to fifteen, after we finally defeated him we were down to five. All five survivors sit amongst you right now.” I paused to take another breath. The trauma of the memory was already beginning to creep up on me, but I had to continue. There was more to the story and they deserved all the details so they would know what they’re up against.

 

“I should have known sooner. I should have suspected something was amiss. It was simply too much of a coincidence that all of this was happening. The second titan and giant war, the rise of Apophis, Loki trying to start Ragnarok, all of these at the same time and it never even crossed my mind to suspect him. If he feels bold enough to reveal his orchestration, then I fear we might be too late.” I bowed my head, I didn’t want to see the fear stricken looks in their eyes.

 

“So how did you guys defeat him last time?” it was Carlos who had asked, a magician found centuries ago in Spain during the reign of Philip II. I remembered his father had been killed when the Spanish Armada was defeated. 

 

“Ammon here managed to use a spell that return him back to his former dwelling and back into his prison. The spell required a magician of enormous strength and the victim had to be weak enough that they would be unable to resist. It took us four days to finally bring him down.” The others simply nodded, taking in the information, trying to hide the worm of doubt and anxiety that crawled through every single one of their stomachs.

 

“So we defeated him once and now he no longer has the element of surprise. What’s the issue?” Hogar asked the question this time, a son of Hermes we had found only a few short years after defeating Lucifer. 

 

“I cannot be certain, and I do not want to leave it to chance, but it seems that Lucifer is biding his time to build an army.” I explained, “last time he acted completely alone. Everything that happened was a result of his own power and manipulation. This time, however, I have reason to believe he may be raising an army of monsters and demons.”

 

“What is your reason?” Ammon asked this time.

 

“I can’t say for sure, it was just this feeling I got while I was stuck in that vision. It was definitely Lucifer that I heard, but there was something different about his presence. It seemed greater. More oppressive. Lucifer definitely had more than his fair share of followers, I have no reason to suspect he won’t use them this time. They’ve only grown in number since last time and at a much greater rate. The only thing I know for certain is that we need to use *every* measure possible to ensure he is defeated.” On the word ‘every’ I turned to my lieutenant, looking him in the eye with an intense gaze. He seemed to know what I was thinking and immediately protested.

 

“No! Absolutely not! You cannot stoop that low!” Ammon nearly shrieked in my face, the accusation evident on his face. “We don’t need their help! We can handle this ourselves. You are going to jeopardize our entire existence for something that *might* work!”

 

“It’s either our existence or the entire world,” I replied coolly, I had already expected him to protest. “Without their help the task is impossible. Even with them, it will be...difficult.” The word difficult came harshly, I knew it was hardly enough to convey the true gravity and hopelessness of the situation, but it would do me no service to call the task impossible.   
  


“There has to be another way!” Ammon pleaded, “please!”

 

“My decision is final,” I refused to waver, but it didn’t stop the wash of guilt that swam throughout my body, “I am invoking the Emergency Clause.” Once again, a wave of protests and confusion broke out amongst the group. This time, I was determined to keep things under control before they got out of hand again.

 

“Silence!” my voice echoed throughout the forest, every voice was silenced by the command, “I know you are all either upset or confused, but this is the only way we will even stand a chance of surviving. The Emergency Clause is an agreement that was drawn up with the Hunters of Artemis. In times of crisis, either group may call on the other for help and that group is obligated to help. It was meant to be an Olive Branch, I never suspected either of us would have to use it.” 

 

_ We’re not getting into this Artemis. It was your fault anyways so I’m not hearing it. _

 

_ It’s a touchy subject for me too so let’s just forget it. _

 

_ Thank you. _

 

“Anyways, working with the Hunters might be our only chance of surviving this. Every single one of you has a job to do and this takes precedence over any previous mission so it’s all hands on deck. Ammon and I have already worked on your mission briefs and have sent them to your trackers. Only a few of you will have a partner, for the rest, these are all solo missions. You will have no one to help you, not even me. I will be busy with the Hunters and Ammon has a very important mission of his own so Linis will be in charge, he will be your first point of contact. Only come to me if it is absolutely, unquestionably necessary. Can you handle that responsibility, Linis?” I turned towards the demigod, a son of Loki we had found in the ruins of the Roanoke colony. Linis nodded curtly, though his widened eyes betrayed his fear of the responsibility. I was the only one that noticed. Everyone else smiled at him and clapped him on the back to congratulate him.  

 

“Great! I know you’ll do just fine.” I offered a smile, it was probably more unnerving than helpful, but I hoped the thought would count. It certainly seemed to help at least. “Ammon and Linis I’ll need to speak to both of you for a bit, everyone else is dismissed.” 

 

Within a few seconds, everyone departed to their bases of operation to pick up the mission I had given them. There was no doubt I was worried. Quite a few of them would be getting missions that were above their ability, but I simply had no choice. Failure wasn’t an option this time. Failure was never an option. I turned to Ammon and Linis who had obediently remained behind, curiosity was already beginning to show on their face, but they were patient. 

 

“Ammon” my lieutenant tilted his head, acknowledging. I shook my head, beckoning him to come with me. Running to catch up, Ammon fell in step with me.

 

“What are we going to do about the boy?” I had almost forgotten about the boy entirely. The young magician was still out somewhere in the wilderness, surviving on nothing but scraps and doing a rather poor job at that. 

 

“We can’t bring him in anymore. Whatever awaits him is far better than whatever we can give him.” I held my lips shut tightly, I didn’t need Ammon seeing how much the news upset me. The boy was clearly suffering and I knew there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn’t bring myself to put him through this life with Lucifer on the move.

 

“We can’t just abandon him,” Ammon just confirmed what I already knew, “you saw the state he was in. He’ll die!” I looked at the ground, shame and guilt gripped at my heart, but I was at a loss. I didn’t know what to do. “At least let me get him somewhere safe. Somewhere he’ll have a chance. I’ll take him to the Brooklyn House.”

 

“The Brooklyn House will be one of Lucifer’s primary targets, it isn’t safe.” I sighed, I had no other option, “you have twenty-four hours, not a second more. Get him to the 73rd Nome in Topeka. As soon as your finished, get to your assigned mission. Make sure to let Theseus know that he’ll be on his own for a day.” Ammon practically collapsed with relief, he had always had a soft spot for children, especially fellow magicians. Even being a part of the Assassins he always felt a special connection to his roots. It was his compassion that compelled me to assign him as my lieutenant. 

 

“Thank you Ortheus! Thank you so much!” I smiled at him, I knew how much it meant to him.

 

“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about though, there is...something else.” Ammon immediately straightened at that, curiosity once again creeping up on his face. “This is going to be difficult for you to hear, but I need you to begin working on finding a lieutenant of your own.”

 

“You can’t possibly be suggesting-” I raised my hand, cutting him off. 

 

“I’m afraid that’s exactly what I’m suggesting,” I interrupted.  “It has always been obvious to everyone that you will be the one chosen to succeed me and now we face a greater threat than ever. Lucifer was the first threat I ever faced as leader, and he very nearly destroyed us. It certainly didn’t help when I...disappeared. There is no doubt you are prepared to take command, you’ve done just fine whenever I asked you, but I have a feeling my days with the Assassins are numbered. Lucifer has been in my head for thousands of years and now he’s back. I may be immortal, Ammon, but I’m still a man.”

 

“A man who can go toe to toe with gods.” Ammon grumbled, clearly not happy with the conversation.

 

I sighed, the events of the day already weighing heavily on my shoulder. “Look, I’m not excited by this either. Talking about my own death? It feels completely unnatural, but we have to face reality now and the reality is bleak no matter how you interpret it.” 

 

No words were exchanged. Neither one of us breaking the silence that calmly washed over us. We didn’t mind it, we welcomed it. Instead, we waited silently for the sun to set, gazing on the pink hues that painted the sky like a canvas.

 

“So,” I finally broke the silence, “will you do this for me?”

 

“You know I’d do anything for you, Ortheus.” Ammon turned and walked away. Nothing more was said. Nothing more needed to be said. I stood in place for a while longer. I knew Linis waited patiently on the other side of the clearing, but I wasn’t ready to see him yet. Instead, I continued to look at the ground, staring at nothing, right foot kicking at the grass that grew around my feet.

 

It seemed like forever, but I finally turned around to find Linis. When I did find him, he was sitting exactly where I had last seen him when I left with Ammon. He was alone, Ammon already having left to fulfill his duties. He had a blade of grass he was twirling around his fingers in one hand, his other hand held a device that he was violently shaking back and forth. 

 

“Whatcha playing?” I asked. Hearing my voice, Linis immediately jumped up into a standing position and threw the device in his pocket.

 

“Nothing!” he stammered out. I stared at him, waiting. “Doodle Jump,” he finally admitted. A smirk escaped from my mouth.

 

“I used to be a big fan of that game,” I smiled. “Who am I kidding, I still am.” The two of us shared a quick laugh, tension diffusing as quickly as it had appeared. I knew he would be nervous and a part of me felt guilty for making him wait so long, but I knew it was necessary.

 

“Listen, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting so long-”

 

“It’s alright,” Linis was quick to reassure me. Too quick. He smiled softly, he certainly had the potential to be a great leader, but there was plenty of work to do.

 

“No, it is certainly not alright and you need to know that.” I said, “I’m trusting you to lead this group while I’m gone and that requires that you to have some conviction. I know you have doubts, but you have great potential and I want you to see that.” 

 

“Thanks Ortheus,” his voice was wavering, the sentence clearly hadn’t been complete, he was looking at me in anticipating, waiting for me to give him the clear to keep talking. I simply stared at him, waiting for him to keep going himself. After what felt like an hour of agonizing silence, he finally spoke up.

 

“I’m just worried that now isn’t the best time. You keep telling us this is the greatest threat we’ve ever face. I’m not a leader! Why me? Why now?” It was the question I had anticipated from the beginning. The inevitable ‘why me, why now’ question that every single person asked when I put them in charge. 

 

“You know, I was still one of the youngest Assassins when they selected me as their leader.” Linis nodded, he knew this, someone had probably already told him. “Well, what you may not know is the tumultuous nature behind my ascension. In the final years of Roth’s life, our group was already beginning to fall apart. When Roth died, we had essentially split into two camps with Parthus and I the de facto leaders of both. By simple virtue of my group being slightly larger I was selected as the leader of the Assassins. Many were adamantly opposed to it, a few even threatened to leave. Do you know who stopped them?” Linis shook his head, this was not a story that was told often. I couldn’t say I was surprised, it was all a very dark time in our history.

 

_ Contrary to popular belief, Artemis, being in the Assassins has actually been a rather enjoyable experience. _

 

_ What could be so enjoyable about being stuck with a group of immortal teenage girls? _

 

_ Yeah. It goes both ways. _

 

“Parthus,” I answered my own question. “As a founding member, Parthus knew that unity was essential to our survival. He was one of the first to pledge his loyalty to me and the others followed suit. He could have easily broken off and formed his own group, but he chose the path of unity over power. He chose to believe in me when I couldn’t even believe in myself. I had a whole group that wanted me to succeed and do well.” I paused for a moment to look at him. “Do you know why I’m telling you all this?”

 

Another shake of the head. No.

 

“I want you to succeed, Linis. Ammon wants you to succeed, they all want you to succeed. I’ve put you in charge because I believe you’ve got what it takes. So you ask why now? Well, why ever? You were right in saying this is the greatest threat we’ve ever faced, but you were wrong when you told me you’re not a leader. Everyone has the ability, it just comes more naturally to some. I was just as terrified as you, but I had help and so do you. You have the ability and I know you’ll do just fine. So what do you say?” I looked at him expectedly, hoping for a positive reaction. It was hard to make out his entire body in the darkness of the night, but his shoulders seemed to straighten and I could feel a hardened look form in his eyes. 

 

“I accept my responsibility,” he said, voice refusing to waver. I let out a small breath of relief, it was always hit or miss when I had these talks with someone after putting them in charge.

 

_ I hope you fade for saying that! _

 

_ Your brother has been a bad influence on you. _

 

_ I think we could always agree he was a horrible influence. _

 

I was usually able to talk them out of their worry and doubt, but it was never guaranteed. Some people just needed a little more help. 

 

“I’m glad to hear that,” I smiled at him. “Alright now, you’ve still got your mission. It’s a tough one, but I know you can handle it.”

 

“Thanks Ortheus,” he returned the smile, “I won’t let you down.”

 

“I know you won’t.” It was all that needed to be said. With the blink of an eye, he was gone.

 

I turned my eyes towards the moon, a waning crescent in the night sky. Somewhere up there, I knew Artemis was busy driving her chariot across the night sky and, come morning, I would be having what would inevitably be a very dramatic confrontation. I couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking of our last meeting. Though it certainly wasn’t funny at the time.

 

_ I’m still surprised you didn’t turn me into a deer or something. _

 

_ I know you were tempted to, I could see it in your eyes. _

 

However, before I could start seeking out the goddess of the hunt, I knew I still had one last thing to do. It was what I had been dreading all day, but it was always inevitable. The emergency report.

 

You see, while the Assassins operate mostly independently, we still need to employ the help of a few more...influential sources. There’s only so much we can do on our own to keep the group a complete secret so we have to do a little bit of outreach to help maintain our veil of secrecy. For the Greeks in particular, we had help from a few sources. Unfortunately, our primary source just so happened to be my father. 

 

_ Stop acting so shocked Artemis, you’ve known for a while. _

 

_ It was my decision thank you very much. _

 

_ He’s been doing just fine. _

 

“Hey Dad!” I called out to the night sky, “can you get down here please?” Nothing happened, no explosion of light, no big red maserati, nothing. I couldn’t help but think what an idiot I must’ve looked like to someone watching.

 

“Do I really have to do it?” I knew what he wanted, it was the same thing every time without fail. I either sang “Tomorrow” at the top of my lungs or he wouldn’t show up, apocalypse be damned. 

 

“Fine,” I admitted defeat, as usual. 

 

“ _ The sun will come out, tomorrow, _

_ Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, _

_ There’ll be sun! _

 

_ Just thinkin’ about, tomorrow, _

_ Clears all of the cobwebs and the sorrow, _

_ ‘Til there’s none! _

 

_ When I’m stuck with a day _

_ That’s gray-” _ I groaned audibly. 

 

“Please! Keep going!” the sun god offered cheerfully. “We were just getting to the good part.”

 

“Does the word ‘apocalypse’ mean nothing to you,” I bit back in frustration. If he realized I was annoyed, he showed no sign of it.

 

“Not really. There’s a new apocalypse every other century, Ortheus.” I was really proud of myself in that moment. Every fiber of my body told me to reach out and slap him, but I held my hand to my side.

 

_ I made it farther than you would have, Artemis. _

 

I took a second to collect myself. “Father,” I sighed, “I know you too well. Even you must see the gravity of this situation.”

 

His sigh matched my own. Deep, long, and a bit remorseful. “Of course I see it, Ortheus,” his eyes stared back at me in earnest, “but wallowing in self pity never solved a problem. You of all people should know that.”

 

“What will we tell the Olympians?” I asked, a hint of concern in my voice. There was never any way of telling how they would react to a new threat. Especially one of this magnitude.

 

“We? Ortheus, there is now ‘we’ here.” Apollo replied firmly, “I am the one who is going to bring this to the council. You’re only concern is going to Artemis and getting her to help you hunt for...whatever it is you’re after.”

 

“Are you sure they’ll actually listen to you?” I asked, already sure of the answer.

 

“Yes.” The answer caught me off guard. “Things have changed in Olympus, Ortheus. I’ve changed. Even Athena listens to me now. If there is a threat, they will take my word for it. With the increased buildup of attacks, it won’t be difficult to explain.”

 

“There’s been more attacks and you didn’t tell me!?” Apollo reeled in shock at my sudden outburst, clearly taking him by surprise.

 

“I assumed you knew.” It came as more of question than an answer.

 

“How could I have know, I’ve been on missions almost every day for the past three years.” I sighed even further, exasperated. “How did I not see this before? How could I have been so blind to the obvious signs? If we lose, we all die, and it’s going to be all my fault!”

 

“Well, if we lose, everyone will die so there’s really no pressure.” Apollo chuckled, amused. A glare was my only response. “It’s not your fault Ortheus. If you took all the credit for losing, then you’d get to take all the credit for when we win and you know I can’t let you take all the credit.”

 

I smiled a little that time. “Thanks dad, you really are a pain in the ass.” 

 

“And you’re a thorn in my side.” We both chuckled a bit. “Get some rest, Ortheus. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.” Apollo walked away, back into his Maserati. Revving the engine a couple of time for dramatic flare, Apollo shot back up into the sky and disappeared behind the Moon. 

 

Trekking through the woods, I made it to the area where I had set up camp for the night. I knew the Hunters were only a few miles away so I’d probably run into them tomorrow one way or another. Until then, a little rest never hurt anyone. Settling into my tent, I finally managed to fall into a light sleep.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“It’s been a long time. My friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this was more of a filler chapter, but I hope it was worth the three-ish month wait. (Probably not)
> 
> Anyways, Thalia's POV will be coming next chapter so get ready for that!
> 
> So yeah, if you enjoy the story please feel free to leave some kudos or make a comment. College is ridiculously busy for me so any encouragement I can get is a blessing!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed :)
> 
> Please feel free to leave some kudos and comments if you enjoyed.
> 
> Don't forget to subscribe if you're interested in more of this story.


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